Not a Gryffindor
by IAmYourArchnemisis
Summary: Alcatraz Silence does not want to be evil. But that's kind of hard, coming from a pureblood family. She tries to see who she is: Gryffindor, or Slytherin? As she lives her life at Hogwarts, she realizes that she may be a weapon.
1. Before

_Hello. I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Alcatraz Silence. Yes, I know. That is probably the most evil-sounding name you have ever heard. And I admit, sometimes I like that it sounds evil and mysterious. Makes me feel tough. But, usually, I wish that my name was Martha, or Donna, or Amy. Simple names. Not evil. People know my name, and hear of my pure-blood lineage, and they don't even give me a chance. They cringe away; don't talk to that girl, because if you offend her, her family will go after your family._

_Maybe I have split personalities. I mean, sometimes, I want to be good. I want to be a Gryffindor. I try to speak kindly to the terrified people on the street (terrified of me- or, rather, what my family will do.) I try to ignore my blood, but it's a part of me. I try to be good, but then I steal, lie, cheat, find ways to be a serpent. And it all comes naturally to me. Like it's stuck there._

_I'm fifteen years old, and I haven't been to a wizarding academy yet. My parents, Sord and Greene Silence, preferred to teach me at home. They claimed that there were things that you couldn't learn in an academy, that if I wanted powerful magic deep inside of me, I had to start young, learn the strong stuff early on. They seemed pleased by my progress. But now, they said that I've learned enough. I'm ready. That now, I should go to an academy, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to interact with other young purebloods. They told me to show them what I know._

_I've been studying Hogwarts. It seems I'm destined to become a Slytherin, to truly join the other purebloods. But I don't want to go there. Gryffindor seems so much better. I read and reread the Gryffindor values. Bravery, honor, the will to fight. So much better than the superiority of Slytherin._

_Soon, I will go to Hogwarts. I will be put in one of the four houses: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff (though I hope not the latter!). My destiny will be determined._

_Soon._

**So...what did you think? This is sort of like a first peek into the story!**

**-Eliza**


	2. The Sorting of Alcatraz

"I have a special announcement to make."

The Headmaster stood up. The sorting of the first years had just finished. The Sorting Hat still sat on the little stool. I breathed out nervously. I stood near the large double doors, watching the faces of all the curious students. There were five tables: one for staff, then the four seating the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins. My eyes kept moving back and forth between the Slytherin table and the Gryffindor one. The Slytherins looked solemn. Their faces naturally looked bored. Most pure-bloods are good at hiding their true feelings.

Then there were the Gryffindors. Their faces showed honesty. They had color in their cheeks, weren't so skinny and sallow. I looked nothing like them. My face was very expressionless, I was pale, I had midnight-black hair. My eyes strayed back to the Slytherin table. I'd fit in better there.

"We have a new student at Hogwarts. She is a fifth year who has decided to transfer to Hogwarts. Her name is Alcatraz Silence."

Whispers broke out. A few people noticed me standing near the doors and pointed me out to their friends. Some glared. The Slytherins looked more interested than before.

"This is an unusual situation. As you all obviously know, most students are sorted at age eleven. Alcatraz, however, will be sorted tonight."

I kept my face blank.

"Alcatraz, will you come forward please?" the Headmaster spoke quietly here.

I strode forward to the school. When the Headmaster nodded, I sat down. Hundreds of eyes stared at me as the hat fell down over my eyes.

I didn't jump when I heard the quiet voice in my head. I expected something like this.

The Hat seemed to be looking through my memories. I heard it mutter, "...the blood is pure; never even said one sentence to a muggle... and a thief! Magic this powerful I haven't seen in many... definitely should be Slytherin... but you doubt... there is both good and evil in you..."

My eyes were squeezed shut inside the hat. '_Please_ don't put me in Hufflepuff,' I thought.

"Oh, and you think that you are superior to the Hufflepuffs," the hat said. "Many Slytherin do. It's decided. You are..."

I stiffened my spine.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled.

My eyes flew open, but only saw the inside of the hat. There were no cheers. I could have sworn that I heard a sort chuckling in my head before I took the hat off.


	3. Bow Down to my Power

When I lifted the hat off my head, I met the gaze of the other students. Slytherins looked angry. They all surely think I'm a blood traitor. Everywhere else I saw mixed feelings. The whole Great Hall seemed to be holding its breath. A few Gryffindors and some of the Hufflepuffs clapped halfheartedly, but that was all. Awkwardly I put the Hat back on the stool. I went to join the silent Gryffindors. As I sat down, the people nearest to me scooted away ever so slightly.

When the meal started, nobody talked to me. A brunette with tan skin leaned over to another girl and whispered something. The tan girl smirked, but the other just looked uncomfortable and nodded stiffly. They were glancing my way. The well-prepared food tasted like rubber in my mouth.

I dreaded writing home to my parents, telling them what had happened. First thing tomorrow, they'd send me an owl asking me for news. Obviously, I'd have to lie. But then they'd find out eventually. I just decided not to answer their owls. Of course, that wouldn't work for too long, but it should stall them a little. I didn't want to think about it anymore. I loaded more mashed potatoes onto my plate and stuffed them in.

Eventually we were sent to bed. Instead of going downstairs to the dungeons with the Slytherins (who kept throwing deathly glares my way) I climbed flights of staircases with the Gryffindors, until we finally stopped in front of a painting of a very fat lady in a pink dress. Someone up front said the password (Bad Wolf.) The painting swung forward, revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

Everything in there was red. Fat red armchairs, red hung around the fireplace, Gryffindor banners with a roaring lion, red, red, red. At home, mother never used such bright colors for furnishing. I found that I actually liked it. It seemed warm, comforting. At a time like this, comfort was much appreciated. At either side of the room was a spiral staircase. I assumed that they led up to the separate dormitories, because the one on the left only had girls going up it and the one on the right only had boys. I ascended the left staircase. There were seven doors. Thankfully, the tan girl who had whispered about me at dinner went into the door marked 'Sixth Years.' I went into the fifth year door.

There was more red in here, too. Six four-poster beds filled the room. There were two windows. The house elves already brought up my luggage and left it on and around one bed.

The other fifth years quietly got ready for bed. The mood felt tense. The girl TanWoman was whispering to had the bed next to mine. I changed into a slightly sheer silver nightgown and took a seat on the mattress, only to stand back up again a second later. I couldn't sleep. In fact, I didn't even feel remotely tired. I slipped out of the room barefoot and shut the door softly behind me.

I guess I was a little distracted, because I didn't hear the whispering voices until I was at the bottom of the staircase. "Don't trust her. Her parents fought for the Dark Lord in the Battle of Hogwarts, when they were just seventh years. She's-"

It was too late to turn back. Someone in the group of students already noticed me. TanWoman, the one who was speaking, cut short what she was saying and looked up. While the others looked down, she held my gaze. I kept a blank expression and stared back, unblinking. That confident smirk was still on her face. I regretted not having my wand. I could quite literally wipe that smile off her face if I did.

She opened her mouth to show a million white teeth. "I'm Kaylyn," she said in a mock polite voice, "Kaylyn Karissa Westley. You are? And we all know who your family is; don't bore us by explaining just how pure-blooded and rich you are. Just your name will do."

I didn't back down. "Lady Alcatraz Hyacintha Gobnata Everild Silence, peasant. Please bow down to my power! Worship my magical purebloodedness! I use you lesser-bloods to wipe the dung from the bottom of my dragon-leather million-galleon boots! Grovel to my-"

"Okay, okay, we get it," Kaylyn interrupted, red faced. "Typical Death-Eater child. Weren't we all being nice to her?" She addressed the other students. "And she had to go be all sarcastic and rude; she just wants us to feel stupid!" She looked around at them, as if daring them to disagree with her.

I gave a low, sweeping curtsy. "Goodnight." I swept back up the spiral staircase in an overly grand fashion.

As I left, I heard her mutter, "Tramp. You could basically see her boobs through that nightie."

Lying in bed, my mind began to wander. I began to think that maybe that wasn't such a good idea, that I would pay for my words later.

I fell into an uneasy sleep.

**There are often _Doctor Who_ references in my stories. Can you find them? And thanks, by the way, to the people who have noticed.**

**-Eliza**


End file.
